Concerns about underpayments in the hospitality sector have been big news in 2017. From cases involving high-profile celebrity chefs to those in fast food franchises, there’s been no shortage of examples of employees being underpaid their entitlements this year.

But is a union-backed website for naming and shaming employers the best way to ensure workers are paid properly?

Unless your home is round and rock-shaped, you’ve probably heard that online retail giant-monolith-destroyer-of-worlds Amazon has finally touched down in Australia, officially launching its local offering yesterday.

And while members of the small business and retail community have been bracing for the company’s arrival for months, many in the startup space are likely looking on with indifference.

With organisation preoccupied with the security challenge posed by malware, cybercriminals are switching impersonation attacks to bypass email security systems, according to research undertaken by Mimecast.

The global email and data security company has released its latest Email Security Risk Assessment (ESRA), which revealed that while most organisations are treating malicious attachments and spam as the main risk to email-related security, there is an increased risk of impersonation attacks as compared to attacks leveraging malware.

To help small businesses get online and reach new markets through digital platforms, the Federal Government has overhauled its Australian Small Business Advisory Services (ASBASAustralian Small Business Advisory Service
www.business.gov.au/asbas) program, Minister for Small Business Michael McCormack has announced.

McCormack said the redesigned program will allocate $18 million in grants over three years to specialist advisers who will engage with interested small businesses throughout Australia to provide relevant training, expert advice and targeted support to grow businesses through digital platforms.

THE Turnbull Government continues to lead the way for paying small businesses on time with release the Pay On-Time Survey which shows Government agencies paid 96 per cent of their invoices within 30 days, Minister for Small Business Michael McCormack says.

Minister for Small Business Michael McCormack said the results were very positive and a great outcome for the 6,800 small businesses which have contracts with the Australian Government.

New research funds about only half of small and medium-sized firms offer flexible working arrangements compared with almost three-quarters of bigger businesses, which are embracing modern working practices.

The survey of 350 respondents by business software provider MYOB also found two-thirds of micro businesses – up to four employees – offer some form of flexibility.

The financial services industry is in the midst of a digital revolution led by fintech startups. These nimble, customer-centric companies are rapidly establishing a new status quo as they hone in on the consumer and business pain points the large incumbents have failed to address.

This week, for our exclusive “Let’s talk…” feature looking at competition, we asked more than a dozen industry experts – including the CEOs of FinTech Australia, Prospa, MoneyMe, zipMoney and Tyro – whether the big financial institutions can survive without fintech.

It was easy to mock the World Economic Forum’s airy dismissal of fintech as lacking the punch to change the competitive landscape — the Geneva-based body is hardly a hotbed of innovation, and nor is it meant to be.

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About Simeon Duncan

Simeon has over a decade of high-level experience in Australian federal politics. He worked in communications and campaign roles as a Senior Advisor providing strategic advice, training and support to three Opposition Leaders.